Strategies For The Inclusion of English Language-Learners in Early-Years Maple Bear Classrooms

Strategies for the Inclusion of
English Language-Learners in
Early-Years Maple Bear Classrooms
MAPLE BEAR
STRATEGIES FOR THE INCLUSION
OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN
EARLY YEARS CLASSROOMS
Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment 6
Valuing Silence 10
Increasing ‘comprehensible input’ 12
Verbalizing the Day-to-Day 16
Bridging Vocabulary Gaps with Visuals 22
Storytelling as ‘Comprehensible Input’ 27
Learning Sentence-Structure with Pictograph Sentence Frames 32
Building Language Capacity in Mathematics 44
Remembering the “3 R’s”: Reduce, Reword, Recycle 53
Adapting Assessment for Beginning ELLs 67
References 74
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Introduction
This resource is designed for early-years classroom teachers who have late-entry English
language-learners in their programs.
The strategies in this handbook are among the most commonly used strategies employed
by early-years educators who work with late-entry students in diverse school settings
across the globe.
The strategies are founded on several important principles:
Communicative language teaching
• Language learning is best achieved when the learner has an opportunity to learn the
language in meaningful and authentic communicative contexts.
• Children learn language best when they have an opportunity to use the language to
negotiate their way through their day-to-day activities, to discover interesting
things about the world around them and to express their thoughts and feelings.
• Children will make greater progress with their English skills when they have
opportunities to use the language to communicate in authentic situations, as
opposed to studying simulated communication situations, vocabulary lists and
grammatical lessons that are provided in textbook series.
Content-based language teaching
• Content-based language teaching refers to the idea that children can learn language
as they learn about the content in other subjects like math and sciences, not only in
English Language Arts or English as an Additional Language classes.
• The content of the subject becomes the ‘vehicle’ through which the language is
learned. In this way, math, science, health, music, art, physical education and social
studies teachers are all language teachers.
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• In order for children to learn both the language and the content simultaneously, the
teacher can employ a variety of strategies to make both the instruction
comprehensible to the learner. Teachers can achieve this by breaking the material
and the language down into smaller ‘chunks’ of information and by offering various
supports. In this way, both the subject area content and the language in which the
content is delivered are made comprehensible. This handbook offers many
suggestions on how to achieve this goal.
Inclusion
• The strategies included in this resource are thus designed to promote language and
content learning in an inclusive setting. Although a child may occasionally have
access to some one-on-one support, English language-learners can learn the content
of mathematics, sciences and language arts courses alongside their peers, while at
the same time be developing their English skills.
• Given that early childhood education learning is social by nature, inclusive settings
are particularly motivating for English language-learners. Young children are
curious and motivated to communicate with others in order to participate in
classroom activities. They are particularly motivated to communicate with their
peers and teacher as a means to be socially and academically included in what is
happening in the classroom.
Support
There exists a slight misconception that young children are like ‘sponges’ and that they all
possess the ability to ‘absorb’ language by virtue of the fact that they are young. Whereas
children may naturally possess certain attributes that give them potential to be strong
language-learners, it is also how we communicate with children that enable them to process
and learn language. A big part of their success can be attributed to the amount of support
they are given throughout the process.
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It is important to recognize that late-entry English language-learners face many challenges.

Consequently, they can experience stress for a variety of reasons:
• There is a lot of uncertainty at the beginning stages of language learning.
• Late-entry students will want to make friends with the other children who may
already have known each other for several years.
• Language learning demands a lot of mental and emotional energy and can be
exhausting.
• Late-entry students have the dual challenge of learning both language and content
at the same time.
The support late-entry English language-learners receive is a key factor in determining
their success. In the beginning, the English language learner will need a lot of support of
various forms:
• Social: to make friends and integrate in the new school environment
• Emotional: to cope with the stress of learning in a new language and in a new
school setting
• Linguistic: to be able to understand and be understood by the school staff and
classmates
• Academic: to contend with the content of the curricula
What you will find in this handbook

In this handbook, you will find several overarching strategies that can assist teachers when
working with late-entry English language-learners in day-to-day instruction.
The strategies in this handbook are categorized by theme and have been chosen for this
guide because of their flexibility and proven success according to language acquisition
research and the collective experience of educators who work in this context.
For each strategy, simple examples are provided using concepts and lessons from Maple
Bear early-years curricula. Please keep in mind that these strategies are highly adaptable.
The strategies can be applied:
• With diverse groups of children
• With a variety of teaching materials and lesson plans
• With a variety of subject areas
• At a range of grade levels
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Remember that in any lesson plan, teachers often employ several strategies in order to
achieve the desired language and content objectives.
Notes
Throughout this resource, English language-learners will be referred to by the acronym
ELLs.
Acknowledgements
Unless otherwise stated, all clipart provided in this handbook were drawn by Dr. Ken
Reimer explicitly for the use of Maple Bear Global Schools Inc. These images are also
available in the APPENDIX to this document.
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Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment
What
The most important strategies of all are those that work to create a warm, positive learning
environment. From Maslow we learn that at the heart of every learning experience is a
person whose basic physiological, social and emotional needs must be met in order to be
motivated and able to realize more complex goals (Burleson & Thoron, 2014).
To be able to thrive, late-entry ELLs need to feel welcome and secure that they belong in
the classroom. It is also important that the ELL develops self-esteem. Self-esteem may be
built through successful attempts at trying new things, but one also needs self-esteem to
have the confidence to try new skills and experiences in the first place.
ELLs must feel enough confidence to venture into ‘the uncertain’ in order to communicate
in the new language. ELLs must feel that it is also acceptable to make mistakes and
sometimes to stay silent as they are learning the language.
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom environment. Over the long-term, students will
have greater chances at success if the teacher employs strategies that foster a ‘growth
mindset’ (Dweck, 2016). In a ‘growth mindset’ environment:
• Effort and perseverance are praised.
• Mistakes are accepted as learning experiences.
• Challenges are viewed as opportunities rather than barriers.
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Why
Being a late-entry ELL in a classroom can be a very stressful experience for a child.
Everything takes a little longer to process for late-entry ELLs- from simple conversational
interactions to more complex academic learning tasks. In this context, the learning curve is
extremely steep and there is little room for ‘mental breaks’. Even playtime can feel like
‘work’ for an ELL.
There may be added social pressures if the ELL is new to the classroom and all the other
children have been together as friends and classmates for some time. Parents may also add
pressure on the child to succeed.
If ELLs are overwhelmed by stress or a sense of exclusion, they may have difficulty learning
anything at all.
Successful language learning requires the ELL to take risks with the new language. This will
only happen if ELLs feel secure enough to trust the people with whom they are
communicating. This trust and sense of security is built through positive relationships.
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How
• Smile often. Make eye contact with the child.
• Use positive, welcoming body language.
• Try to use humour. Model being able to laugh at oneself.
• Build a relationship with the ELL by learning about their interests.
• Prepare the other children that there is a new student in class and assign the new
student ‘buddies’ for recess, playtime, group work, and lunchtime.
• Try to help the other children to develop empathy for the new student. Reading
storybooks about the feelings of being a newcomer, trying new experiences for the
first time and being brave in the face of a challenge can help the other children to
understand what it might be like to be in the place of the late-entry ELL.
• Pair work and group work can encourage participation. If the newcomer student is
unsure what to do, assign specific roles and help the student to understand his/her
task. Group students so that ELLs will have an opportunity to participate, but do not
force a child to speak in English if they is not ready to do so.
• If possible, pair ELLs with children who have strong English language skills.
• If possible, pair ELLs with other children who are welcoming and patient.
• Do not punish ELLS for speaking their home language. The home language is an
important and positive part of the child’s identity and at first, it may be their only
means to communicate.
• Provide bi-lingual learning support if needed, especially at first, but don’t rely on
translation all of the time.
• Focus on what the ELL can do and praise the ELL for making progress and taking
risks.
• Acknowledge what ELLS say in English, even if it is a single word or broken
sentence. Praise the effort and determination it takes
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• Offer ELLs the vocabulary they need when they are trying to communicate but may
not have the words. At first, this vocabulary might be in the form of single words.
Invite them to echo you as you provide them with the vocabulary.
• Give ELLs frequent opportunities to practice new language skills in low-anxiety
situations.
• Establishing routines and repeating key phrases will help ELLs to feel more secure
in knowing what to do and how to respond in day-to-day situations, which lowers
anxiety.
• Expect that the ELL will participate and be attentive in activities, as you would
expect from all students in the class.
• Don’t overload ELLS with error feedback- choose one error at a time to correct.
Make note of repeated errors and address them later.
• When correcting errors, use positively phrased feedback. Reframe what the ELL was
trying to communicate using the correct language and invite the ELL to echo the
correct language.
• Teach key survival phrases (“May I go to drink water?” “May I go to the washroom?”
‘thank you’, ‘please’ etc. ).
• Plan activities that involve ‘taking turns’ so that ELLs can feel included.
• Model patience and encourage the ELLs to be patient with themselves.
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Valuing Silence
What
Silence is a valued part of the language-learning process. Silence is a tool used by the ELL
and the teacher to maximize both input and output.
Silence while processing input
Teachers should anticipate a ‘silent period’ when a student is beginning to learn a language.
ELLs will listen a lot when they are first learning English. They may not say anything for
days, weeks or even months in some cases. This is a normal and expected part of the
process, as they are processing the massive amounts of language and content input to
which they are being exposed. When ELLs are ready, they will begin to speak and write. In
the meantime, teachers can assess understanding and growth using alternate methods.
Silence when providing input
Teachers need to provide moments of silence by pausing frequently when presenting new
information to ELLS. These pauses are crucial as they allow ELLs a chance to ‘catch up’ with
not only the language, but also the content of the lesson. There is a lot to process. Silence
provides opportunities for this processing to happen before moving on to the next part of
the lesson.
Silence before processing output
Teachers need to increase ‘wait time’ when asking for responses from ELLs, as it may take
them more time to formulate answers. ELLs need time to put together the words to express
output; that is, to express their knowledge, thoughts and ideas and/or to ask questions
about what they don’t understand. It takes time and experience for automaticity to develop.
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Why
During the beginning stages of language learning, particularly in an immersion context, the
language-learner’s brain is flooded with ‘input’. It is completely normal for beginning
language learners to have what is often referred to as a ‘silent period’ in which they do not
speak much (or at all) in the new language, rather they are listening and observing and
building up the confidence to take risks with the new language to negotiate meaning.
ELLs need time and repeated exposure to language and content input in order to:
• Process the sounds of the new language.
• Make connections with objects and ideas and the vocabulary.
• Develop a sense of how the language is structured.
• Understand how the organization of words affects the message.
• Process the tone of the communication to infer any feeling attached to the input.
Silent pauses help the ELL to process the input they receive and output they eventually
produce. It takes a language-learner more time to process new content because they are
not only learning the content, but also the language through which it is delivered. This is
complex and demanding.
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How
• Be patient during the ‘silent period’ as the ELL will speak eventually.
• Continue to provide comprehensible input, even though ELLs may not speak at first.
• At the beginning, silence should not be interpreted as an act of uncooperativeness;
the child may simply not be ready to speak.
• Continue to be positive and encouraging, even if the ‘silent period’ may feel
frustrating to both the teacher and the learner.
• Continue to include the ELL in class activities, even though he or she may not be
speaking yet. The silence is not likely an indication that the ELL does not want to
participate; rather it is an indication that the ELL is not ready to speak.
• Slow down by pausing frequently between statements and when giving instructions.
Silent pauses are a way to control the teacher’s rate of speech without having to
speak so slowly that the non-ELLs lose track of what the teacher is saying.
• It is also helpful to repeat and rephrase instruction, pausing each time in between in
order to give the ELL time to think and process the language and content of the
lesson.
• When asking the ELL a question, wait longer than usual (for a non-ELL) to respond.
If the ELL does not appear to have the language to respond, rephrase the question
by offering a choice or by suggesting the vocabulary that is needed and if possible,
offering a visual support.
Increasing ‘Comprehensible Input’

What
Comprehensible input is a widely accepted theory in language acquisition and it is
especially central to working with ELLs in mainstream classroom settings. The theory of
‘comprehensible input’ is the idea that in order to learn something new, one does not
necessarily need to understand every single word of the information that is presented (the
input), but one will only really grow in knowledge and understand the content if the input
presented is just slightly higher than one’s current level of understanding (Krashen, 2009).
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Where ELLs are present, the teacher needs to break language and content into ‘manageable
chunks’ of information and also to provide ‘scaffolding’ (little supports) so that language
learners can use their developing language skills to understand content and to express
their knowledge and ideas.
Why
When students are presented with information that is way beyond their level of
understanding and/or language proficiency, they may not be able to make any sense of the
‘input’ and may become frustrated and over-whelmed. This frustration may cause the child
to feel discouraged and even cause the child to behave in ways that are counter-productive
to learning.
Mountain climbing provides a good metaphor for comprehensible input. A person can
conquer a tall mountain with repetitive training, good coaching, supportive equipment,
strong determination and ultimately, by taking the mountain one small step at a time.
In the same way, ELLs in mainstream classrooms have a goal that sometimes might feel like
climbing a mountain; they are trying to learn the language and the content at the same
time. This goal is only achievable if the input is comprehensible to them; they can only
learn the information if it is broken down into simpler language and if the teacher provides
additional supports. In teaching, we call these supports ‘scaffolding’. The scaffolds may
take all kinds of forms. For example, they may be visuals supports, adapted assessments,
sentence frames, audio books, repeated and rephrased instruction, learning activities
broken into smaller steps, gestures, simplified versions of texts etc. All of these scaffolds
help to make the input more comprehensible.
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How
When thinking about how to implement comprehensible input in one’s classroom, it is
helpful to consider of the analogy of feeding a baby.
When we feed babies fruit, we need to break their fruit down into small pieces so that they
can eat. We may still feed the baby an entire fruit, but we don’t shove the whole fruit in the
child’s mouth at once. We can’t do that because the child would choke! The child is not
ready to eat the whole fruit yet in that way. Parents need to provide additional support,
such as feeding babies with a spoon until they can feed themselves. Eventually the baby
will mature to be able to eat whole fruits without the help of an adult.
When we give babies the mashed up fruits, they are still getting all the nutrients. It’s the
same content, just broken down. The baby still benefits from the fruit, but it is presented in a
different way that is more manageable.
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Teachers who may have late-entry ELLs in their class may worry that they have to create
completely new; individualized lesson plans for these children. This is not necessary.
Instead, teachers can take the lessons that they are planning for the children in their class
and adapt them for the ELLs
Here are some simple strategies to help make input more comprehensible:
• Provide visual supports (photos, clipart, real-life objects, gestures, models,
manipulatives etc.) in all subjects to accompany classroom routines, storytelling,
songs, science lessons and math problems.
• Simplify sentence structure. Teachers can paraphrase the instruction they provide
to the non- ELLs in the class by using shorter, simple sentences and simpler words.
When working with beginners, teachers may want to start with one- two word
sentences. They can gradually build longer sentences as the child develops language
proficiency.
• Provide modeled speech. Have the student echo correct speech. Give the student an
opportunity to practice sentence frames using predictable, repeated phrases. Again,
start small; begin with one-two word phrases and gradually build longer sentences.
• Provide examples of the product that you wish the child to produce. Visual cues are
key to comprehensible input for beginning language learners.
• Present new information in several different ways, for example stories, songs, object
lessons, drawings, etc. Repetition is a key concept to comprehensible input. ELLs
need to be exposed to the language several times and in different ways in order to
make it part of their working vocabulary.
• Avoid idioms. For example if you say “It’s raining cats and dogs today”, this
expression may not make any sense to ELLs, even if they know what rain and cats
and dogs are. If you happen to use an idiomatic expression, rephrase and clarify
your expression…” For example, “It’s raining cats and dogs today! That expression
means it’s raining a lot. You need to put on your rain jacket.”
• Break down instructions into little steps. Use visual supports (examples, pictures,
writing (when age appropriate) etc.) to reinforce oral instructions.
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• In the early stages of language acquisition, it is absolutely necessary to avoid

frustration, discreetly help bridge a comprehension gap with the use of the ELL’s
home language (if the support is available). Beware that this support should be used
sparingly during class time and the teacher does not need to be translating
everything into the child’s home language.
Verbalizing the Day-to-Day
What
There are many small day-to-day things that happen in any classroom that we do not speak
about; rather, they occur because they are part of routines and/or social norms. For
example: they find places to sit, they share supplies and toys with one another, they make
decisions on which supply to use, they raise their hands to ask a question and so on.
These simple, habitual day-to-day activities can provide a wealth of language input for ELLs
if spoken words are attached to the visual and contextual cues in the moment.
Why
Young children learn language by interacting with others. They rely on oral, visual and
contextual cues and repeated exposure to input in order to make sense of the world around
them and to develop language skills.
If you think of the way babies acquire their first languages, they listen to their parents and
other caregivers speaking to them as the adults and older children narrate and negotiate
the basic interactions of daily life. Eventually babies begin to use this language to negotiate
for themselves, but first, they must be exposed to the language repeatedly and
authentically.
Verbalizing the day-to-day interactions provides oral input for the ELL and helps the child
to develop important basic interpersonal language skills by presenting vocabulary and
modeling communication in authentic, low-risk situations.
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How
Verbalizing the day-to-day interactions of your classroom is an easy strategy to employ, as
it involves no extra preparation. It does, however, demand a certain mindfulness to make
the effort to speak about simple day-to-day interactions that may not typically warrant
speech.
The teacher does not need to be talking constantly throughout every moment of the day.
That would be exhausting for both the teacher and the learner. Rather, it might be helpful
to choose a few routine actions as ‘target vocabulary’ for each day or week and focus on
verbalizing those interactions.
When speaking, the teacher should use simple, short, repetitive sentences and speak in the
moment when visual cues and context are present.
Here are some simple ways that teachers can increase the oral input for ELLs as they go
about the day-to-day activities of school life:
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Verbalize classroom routines
When the children are performing routine actions, verbalize the details of the actions as
you see them happening.
For example:
“Fernando is putting soap on his hands. He is rinsing his hands with water. Now he is
drying his hands. Can you put soap on your hands? Here is the soap”
“Lucas hangs up his coat. Beatriz hangs up her coat. Thank you for hanging up your
coat”
“New words go on the word wall. I am putting this new word on the word wall. When
you want to remember the new word, look at the word wall.”
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Respond verbally to non-verbal actions

When a child completes a non-verbal effort to communicate, reinforce the action with
words to express what the child has done.
For example:
“Felipe puts his garbage in the garbage can. Thank you, Felipe, for putting your
garbage in the garbage can.”
“Daniel is looking for the scissors. Can you pass Daniel the scissors? Thank you for
passing the scissors to Daniel”
“Thank you, Carlos, for sharing your glue with Luiza.”
“Marco is raising his hand. He has a question. Thank you for raising your hand, Marco.
What is your question?”
Verbalize play
When the child is playing, describe aloud what the child is doing. For example:
“Joao is passing the ball to Adriana” “Adriana is bouncing the ball” “Now, Adriana is
passing the ball to you. Now you bounce the ball. Then you can pass the ball to
Ricardo.” “Mariana is putting the dress on the doll. Can you put a dress on this doll?”
“That is a nice tower that you made, Larissa. Laura is also making a tower. We use the
bricks to make a tower.”
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Verbalize options
When the child is faced with making a choice, verbalize the options. This will not only give
the child an opportunity to learn the vocabulary in context, but it will also help to give the
child appropriate language to express his/her wishes.
For example:
“Would you like to play with the toy car or the zoo animals? (Child indicates cars) You
would like to play with the toy cars? Yes? Would you like the blue car or the red
car? (Child indicates red car) You would like the red car- that is great. Sofia will play
with the blue car. Sofia and you can play with the cars together.”
“Would you like to colour the sun with the yellow crayon or with the orange crayon?”
Verbalize the process when modeling a learning activity
Even though some actions may seem to be routine to the class, the ELL may not have the
language to understand and/or communicate these actions. Even though the child may be
able to see what is happening, by verbalizing the process as it is being modeled, the
language becomes part of the child’s working vocabulary.
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For example:
“Sofia is putting her name card in the pocket chart. Ricardo is putting
his name card in the pocket chart. Can you put your name card in the pocket chart?”
“Everyone needs to find a pencil. I see that Lara has a pencil. Victor also has a pencil.
Mariana, can you find a pencil? Very good- you have a pencil. Now, use your pencil to
print your name on the paper. See- I am using a pencil to print my name on the paper.”
“Please cut out the shape of the circle. Yes- use your scissors to cut out the shape of the
circle. Look here- here is the circle. Now I am taking my scissors to cut out the shape
of the circle. I see Carla is cutting out the shape of the circle. Bruno is cutting out the
shape of the circle…”
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Bridging Vocabulary Gaps with Visuals
What
Visual cues can bridge gaps in communication where vocabulary is lacking. Visual cues can
come in many forms, for example drawings, photographs, clipart, graphic organizers, real-
life objects, posters, pictographs, videos, cartoons etc. Visual cues are not only essential to
building comprehensible input for content-area instruction, but they are also important
supports for day-to-day interactions.
Why
Visuals help ELLs to make connections with prior knowledge
ELLs may not have developed English proficiency, but they do have life experience and a
home language. When teachers provide ELLs with visual cues, it helps them to make
connections with what they have already learned and the new vocabulary that represents
these ideas in English.
Visuals help students to remember new vocabulary
When students are learning about content that is new to them, a visual cue can serve as a
reminder of the vocabulary that they have learned and the new concept that they are
learning about.
Visuals help to promote inclusion
Helping ELLs to feel a part of the day-to-day classroom activities is not only key to their
participation and learning potential, it is also an important part of their social integration.
Feeling ‘lost’ can contribute to anxiety, which can hinder learning. It is therefore important
that ELLs understand classroom routines and know the name and the location of everyday
classroom objects.
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How
Use visuals to support learning in all subject areas as a means to providing
comprehensible input.
Preview stories, texts, word problems, and songs that will be taught in class. Anticipate
unknown vocabulary. Find and/or create and print images to represent vocabulary that
may be difficult. Post the images where they are visible to the student. If possible, make
small versions of these images and use them to make flashcards and/or a personal picture
dictionary (with words) for the student.
Add pictures (with words) to the classroom word walls. Group these words thematically in
logical categories.
Use visuals to support the language of the day-today classroom

Using visuals to support the language of everyday actions, objects and needs in the
classroom is an essential ‘survival’ strategy for anyone with ELLs in their classroom. This
strategy is particularly helpful at the beginning of the year when the new student is getting
used to the new routines, the new classroom setting and the new language.
Label classroom objects
Label objects in the classroom with pictures and with words, including toys, supplies, stations,
furniture and even parts of the structure like ‘table’, ‘wall’, ‘door’ and ‘window’. This will help ELLs
to build vocabulary and to be able to follow instructions.
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Provide labeled photos of the classroom
Another suggestion is to take photos of the classroom itself, printing the photos to a larger
size and labeling them with the appropriate vocabulary. Students could also use these
photos as a speaking activity with the teacher, with a peer and/or for homework with their
parents.
Initially, the photos could be used for simple vocabulary recognition, but as the ELL
develops more complex language skills, these photos could be used as the basis for a
variety of sentence-building activities such as practicing describing spatial organization
and descriptive sentence-building using a familiar context. For example…
“The wall is white. The carpet is pink and yellow. The shelf is purple. The table is green...”
“The books are on the shelf. The cars are beside the dinosaurs. The trains are below the blocks.
The sink is under the window. The clock is on the wall….”
“In our classroom, there are four windows. There is one computer. There are three shelves…”
Make class schedules and routines visual

Visual schedules for the day mark changes and transitions in activities so that ELLs can
anticipate which activity is coming next. It is helpful to post the day’s schedule in a central,
visible spot and if possible, make a smaller version of the schedule to place on the child’s
desk (like a bookmark).
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Post visuals of typical classroom instructions

Teachers can use pictures to teach key actions so that students may follow classroom
instructions, activities and transitions.
Post the pictures on the wall in a central location from which you tend to give instructions
(for example along the top of the whiteboard or a central bulletin board).
For beginning language-learners, point to the appropriate pictures when you are saying the
instruction. Students can also be provided with small versions of these visual instructions
to use as flashcards or as part of a personal picture dictionary.
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share line up find a partner
clean up sit in a circle come here
sit down listen read
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print/ write draw take turns
cut point / show choose
stand up turn and talk to a partner count
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Storytelling as comprehensible input
What
Stories are extremely powerful teaching tools. They contain a lot of information in a
‘package’ that is appealing to children and they can be applied to learning not only for
language arts, but also for social studies, science and even math. Illustrated stories provide
rich content and language-learning opportunities for ELLs. Moreover, stories are flexible
tools that can be used in inclusive settings with simple adaptations, as a way for both ELLs
and their peers to share a common learning experience.
Why
• Stories are memorable.
• Stories may contain a lesson.
• Stories contain a richness of vocabulary.
• Stories teach sequencing of events.
• Stories can show emotion. They can also cause the reader to feel emotion.
• Stories can help to build connections between people, ideas, cultures, shared
experiences, values etc.
• Stories are interesting.
• Stories are flexible. They can be adapted in a variety of ways. They can be spoken
and heard, written and read. Stories can be visual representations.
• Stories are eternal. People have been telling stories since before recorded history.
How
Wordless picture books
Wordless picture books are books that have pictures, but no written language.
• Wordless picture books can be used solely for the purpose of vocabulary
development for beginning learners.
• For ELLs with more developed language proficiency, wordless picture books can
also be used to teach a variety of textual structures, for example narrative, cause and
effect/consequence, expository and process.
• ELLs can listen to another person narrate a story using the wordless picture book.
The story can be simplified as much as needed for ELLs.
• ELLs can narrate a story by looking at the pictures and telling what he/she sees.
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• All children in the class, even those with developing English proficiency, can enjoy a
wordless picture book.
• Wordless picture books can be sent home and the child can ‘read’ the book with
his/her parents in their home language. This will help to reinforce literacy skills in
the home language as well as in English. The child can ‘teach’ the parents what
he/she learned about the book in English.
• A simple adaptation is to create a wordless picture book from a regular picture book
is to make a copy of the storybook, but cut out the text, so that the ELL can only see
the pictures.
• Wordless picture books are available for purchase (search online for “wordless
picture books”), but they can also be created with simple clipart.
For example, the following could be a simple wordless picture book about various
living things and their diets. The story is created by clipart. Imagine the language-
learning potential of this story.
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Home Reading
• Encourage home reading of simple picture books with repetitive and predictable language.
• Provide the child with simple books to take home; do not assume that parents will know
which English books to choose for their children.
• Encourage the child to continue reading in their home language with their parents.
• Encourage the family to read bilingual books (in the home language and in English) with
their children.
Audio Books
• Audio books can be a simple recording of a story or they can be accompanied by a

written and illustrated text. Audiobooks are especially effective when they also
contain visual supports to promote visual literacy as well as oral language
development.
• Provide students with access to audio books- (books with a CD/cassette or audio-
file online). There are also apps available on portable devices that contain audio
books for children. ELLs can use audiobooks in class and also at home.
• If no audio books are easily available, teachers can create audio books by recording
their voice on a computer or portable device. They can upload the file to a computer
to be accessed online or on a computer file as the child reads along with the paper
copy of the book.
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Creating Books
• Create simple books using photos or drawings of everyday objects. For beginners,
the language should be simple and repetitive and the sentence structure should be
fairly predictable.
• Create small booklets where a student draws a picture and adds words to a simple
sentence frame. Teachers can use a series of visuals to create stories for their
students. The booklets can be laminated for re-use.
• Children can create their own books by drawing pictures and eventually adding
their own text. At first, they could narrate a story and another person could scribe
the text. When children develop more advanced language proficiency, they could
write their own stories.
This story could be simplified. For example: “Bentley is a dog. Herb is a cat. Bentley has a
bed. Herb sleeps on Bentley’s bed. Bentley cannot sleep on his bed. Herb does not want to
share the bed…etc.”
This story could also be made more elaborate to be used with non-ELLs or more advanced
ELLs, For example: “Bentley is the Reimer’s dog. He is black and white cocker spaniel. One
day, his family brought home a cat. The cat was also black and white. They named the cat
‘Herb’. Bentley’s favourite thing in the world was his big soft bed. Herb thought the bed was
for him…. etc.”
“Bentley’s Bed”
This is Bentley. He is a dog. He lives in a house. This is Herb. He is a cat. He lives in the house too.
Bentley shares his house with a cat. Herb shares his house with Bentley.
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This is Bentley’s bed. Bentley’s bed is big. It is soft. This is not Herb’s bed. This is Bentley’s bed.
Bentley likes his bed. Herb likes Bentley’s bed because it is big and soft.
Herb does not like to share. Bentley does not want to sleep on the floor.
Herb likes to sleep on the bed. Bentley wants to sleep on his bed.
Bentley sleeps on the floor. Herb does not want to share the bed.
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Learning sentence-structure with pictographs

What
Pictograph sentence frames are sentence frames that use pictures to represent ideas and
vocabulary.
In order to make connections between ideas and words, one must first understand the
vocabulary itself as a ‘concept’. One must know the meaning or the idea that is connected
to the word. Then, one must learn to connect words in meaningful ways to express more
complex ideas.
As children (and particularly ELLs) learn to read, pictographs can help to reinforce
vocabulary and to develop sentence structure. Pictographs can also help ELLs to learn the
subject area content.
For beginner and intermediate ELLS, pictographs work best when the sentence structure is
repetitive and predictable.
Why
Building a concept in one’s brain is kind of like building a wall. Words are like the bricks. By
themselves, the bricks carry a lot of potential. They can become chimneys, fire pits, walls,
fences etc., depending how they are organized and for what purpose. In the same way,
words can carry a variety of potential meanings, depending how we organize them and for
what purpose we express them.
The ‘grammar’ of the sentence (verb conjugations, connecting words, prepositions, syntax
etc.) is a kind of ‘mortar’ that organizes and connects words and ideas together in a
meaningful way.
In the end, a wall is built when the bricks and the mortar cement together. Similarly, the
sentence represents a complex idea that is more than a collection of words. The words
carry the bulk of the meaning, but it is the grammar of the sentence that holds them all
together in a logical and meaningful way.
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words (vocabulary) grammar complex meaning
How
Teachers can use this strategy to adapt already existing lessons with the assistance of
clipart, photographs, real-life objects, drawings, pantomime, gestures etc.
Identify the sentence structure that is to be modeled in the pictograph sentence
frame
• This strategy works particularly well with content where the sentence structure is
predictable and potentially repetitive.
• First, the teacher will need to identify what kind of sentence structure is to be
modeled (for example cause and effect, compare and contrast, ordering a process,
making a list etc.).
• The teacher may need to also look critically at the existing lesson and simplify the
sentence structure of the content, as it is presented, if the wording is vague or too
complex.
• It is important to keep sentences, vocabulary and concepts as simple as possible.
• It is helpful to repeat the sentence structure several times, using different
vocabulary in similar ways to show relationships between the words (for example
process, cause and effect, narrative etc.).
• Exposure to repetitive sentence structure helps ELLs to learn to anticipate (and
eventually create) the same kinds of sentences in other contexts.
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Identify and Teach Key Vocabulary
Then, the teacher will need to look critically at the existing lesson and try to determine
which vocabulary may be unknown to the ELL.
Before ELLS can learn content and express their understanding, they must first develop an
understanding of the essential vocabulary of the lesson. This can be achieved by isolating
several key words or expressions that you want the child to learn.
ELLS can work with the vocabulary itself by seeing visual representations of the idea
contained in the word (for example clipart, photographs, drawings, real-life objects,
pantomime, gestures etc.).
Students should be given an opportunity to hear the words, say the words and see the
words in a visual way. Teachers could provide students with flashcard-sized visuals (for
personal practice and reference at home and in school) and word wall images for the
classroom (containing the picture and the word).
Combine Key Vocabulary and Sentence Patterns in Pictograph Sentence Frame
Finally, once students have a stronger sense of the vocabulary used to teach the content,
they can begin to connect the words in meaningful ways using the pictograph sentence
frame.
Adaptations for Various Levels of Literacy
Pictograph sentence frames can be adapted for a wide-range of ELLs.
For very young children or beginning ELLs who have not yet learned to read, pictographs
could contain only pictures and no words. Children could learn to anticipate the sentence
structure orally by talking through the pictograph sentence as a class or in small group
settings.
For older children with developing reading skills or for slightly more advanced ELLs,
pictograph sentence frames could contain some pictures and some words.
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Example of this strategy

For example, let’s look at the example that follows. This example was taken from a lesson
plan taken from the Year 1 Maple Bear Science Curriculum, Unit 1 “We are all scientists”.
At first glance, one might not see too much ‘language difficulty’ when looking at this
assignment:
• There is a visual support that accompanies each sentence, which certainly assists
the meaning.
• As well, the student is only expected to produce one word to complete the sentence.
After a second glance, we may notice that:

• This worksheet assumes the knowledge of a significant amount of vocabulary before
the appropriate connections can be made (eyeglasses, unclear, clear, magnifying
glass, big, small, binoculars, far away, near).
• The student must also understand that the word ‘make’ (a word that has many
possible meanings in English) has a causal effect.
• The verb ‘look’ may also be a little confusing, as its meaning is combined with the
verb ‘make’.
• Without clarification, these simple words may be a source of confusion for an ELL.
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What makes this task challenging

for an ELL?
*new vocabulary
*vague verb & unfamiliar cause

and effect sentence structure
*unknown response
Answer key:
1. We use eyeglasses to make unclear things look clear.
2. We use a magnifying glass to make small things look big.
3. We use binoculars to make far away things look near.
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Vocabulary for the lesson part 1
eyeglasses
magnifying glass small big
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binoculars near far away
Some Vocabulary-Building Strategies:
1) If possible, show the student actual objects (glasses, a magnifying glass and
binoculars). Have the student manipulate the objects, trying to use them for the desired
purpose. As the student is using the objects, tell the student what is happening.
For example, as student looks through magnifying glass, say, “We use a magnifying glass to
make small things look big”. Ask student, “When we use a magnifying glass, how do small
things look? The student may reply, “Big.” The teacher can repeat, “Yes, the magnifying glass
makes small things look big.”
2) Provide students with vocabulary on little flashcards cards showing just one picture and
the written word. Review the vocabulary with the student as he/she looks at and touches
the cards. As the student is learning to recognize the vocabulary that is shown on the
flashcards, have a conversation with the student to reinforce the meaning of the words.
Show the child the picture of the magnifying glass. Say- “This is a magnifying glass. We use it
to make small things look bigger”. Have the student tell you the name of the object.
Then show the student the little card with the picture of the big and small object. Say, “This
bug is small. This bug is big”. Point to each as you say the corresponding word.
Then you could ask the student “Show me the big bug.” “Show me the small bug.”
You could then ask the student ‘”What do you use to make small things look bigger?”
“That’s right – a magnifying glass.”
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Place the two cards that belong together beside each other on the table so the ELL can
associate the two concepts with one another. Then, repeat the process with the other sets
of cards.
3) Play and talk with the flashcards. Place all the cards on the table. Mix them up. Have
the student locate the card that you tell him/her to find. Say, “Show me the magnifying
glass”. When the student shows you the appropriate card, say, “That’s great- thank you. I
use the magnifying glass to make small things look big. Show me the picture of the big and
small thing.” And so on…
4) Use the vocabulary to practise sentence structure orally. After the student becomes
familiar with the vocabulary, ask the student to find the appropriate tool that we use to
achieve a certain purpose.
For example…
“I want to make small things look big. What would I use?”
(Student finds card that shows the magnifying glass.)
“That’s right, I would use a magnifying glass to make small things look big”.
5) Finally, show the student the pictograph sentence frame. Have the student read the
text with you. Then, ask the student to read the frame. Follow the words with your fingers.
Sample adapted activity page for ELLs
Show the student the picture of the woman using
glasses to read. Explain:
When she does not use eyeglasses, the words are

unclear. Point to the unclear apple.
When she uses glasses, the words are clear. Point to the
clear apple.
Talk the student through the complete story now.
Point to each word as you read and say the story

together. Then read the pictograph sentence.
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We use eyeglasses
to make unclear things
look clear .
Pictograph sentence frame:
We use to make things look .
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Adapted activity page for ELLs

Show the student the picture of the child using a
magnifying glass to look at the bug. Explain:
When he does not use the magnifying glass, the bug looks
small. Point to the small bug.
When he uses the magnifying glass, the bug looks big.
Point to the big bug,

Point to each word as you read and say the story aloud
We use a magnifying glass
to make small things
look big.
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Pictograph Sentence Frame:
We use a to make things look .

Adapted activity page for ELLs
Show the student the picture of the man using binoculars to

look at the boat that is far away. Explain:
When he does not use the binoculars, the boat looks far
away. Point to the boat
When he uses the binoculars, the boat looks near.
Point to each word as you read and say the story aloud
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We use binoculars
to make far away things
look near
Pictograph sentence frame:
We use to make things look
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Building Language Capacity in Mathematics
What
ELLS need visual and vocabulary supports to be able to contend with math instruction.
Teachers need to be mindful that while the math skills of a student may be separate from
their linguistic proficiency, the student needs to be able to comprehend the language in
order to follow instructions, understand word problems and express his/her questions and
understanding.
Why
There is a bit of a misconception that ‘math is the universal language’. Whereas calculations
with numerical symbols may be somewhat universally understood, there is a lot of
‘language’ involved in the instruction of mathematics and in solving real-world problems
using math.
Teachers need to be intentional to offer language supports where needed so that ELLs can
focus on demonstrating their understanding of mathematical concepts and not get hung up
on the language of the task.
How
• Visual dictionaries, manipulatives, diagrams, real-life objects and word walls are
essential to helping ELLS to master the vocabulary that is used regularly in math
lessons.
• Teachers often use a variety of terms interchangeably to express the same idea.
ELLs need to be explicitly taught these terms and be made to understand that they
mean the same thing.
• Word problems can be supported with visual aids to help ELLS learn the vocabulary
and to better understand the context of the problem.
• Word problems and instructions should be broken down into a series of short
simple sentences instead of longer, complex sentences so that students can focus on
the task one step at a time and not be confused by sentence structure.
• Use gestures and acting out the problems, when possible to bring the word
problems and mathematical processes to life.
For example: the following vocabulary is used throughout the Year 1 math program. The
visual supports are included in larger format in the Appendix.
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These images could be posted in the classroom on a ‘math word wall’ or they could be
printed in small versions to add to a personal picture dictionary for the ELLs.
Pattern Greater than = More than = higher than
Next Less than
after in between before Is equal to = equals = is the same as
Ruler Total = altogether = in all = sum
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Estimate / guess Tally mark
Count forward Count backward
Units Draw a line Draw a circle/circle the
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ten Hundred
Add = plus = increase = more = and Subtract = left over = minus = fewer
= reduce = take away = less
Enhancing the comprehensibility of math word problems

The following is a word problem taken from a Year 1 Maple Bear Mathematics lesson.
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The following is an adaptation of the same word problem with vocabulary clarification and
supports:
8 fish are in the

Gabriela is fishing.
Gabriela catches three fish.
She takes them away from the lake.
How many fish are left in the lake?
__________ - ___________ = ________________
There are ______ fish left in the lake.
The following is a word problem taken from a Year 1 Maple Bear math lesson.
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supports:
7 apples are on a tree.

Maria is picking apples.
Maria picks 3 apples.
She takes them away from the tree.
How many apples are left on the tree?
__________ - __________ = ___________. There are ___________apples left on the tree.
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The following is a word problem taken from a Year 1 Maple Bear Mathematics lesson.
supports:
First, the teacher could provide visual supports to help the ELLs understand the essential
vocabulary:
candies
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This problem could then be expressed with a pictograph sentence frame.
If I have 4 and I get 5 from my friend,
then I have ____ altogether.
or
4 + 5 = ______________
If I have 9
and I give 5 away to a friend,
then I have _________ left over or 9 – 5 = ________
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Remembering the 3 ‘Rs’: Reduce, Reword, Recycle

What
Often teachers will use a variety of strategies at once to help the ELLs in their class to
understand the content of the lesson. “Reduce, reword, recycle” is a complex series of
strategies that help to foster the inclusion of ELLs in a mainstream classroom and it is
successful because it builds on the notion of ‘comprehensible input’. Content material and
language are ‘reduced’ into ‘comprehensible’ chunks of information and ‘reworded’ in
simplified language that the ELL can understand. New words are ‘recycled’ in various ways
so that the learner can be exposed to the input many times and eventually begin to
understand the vocabulary and content and eventually manipulate the language to express
his/her own understanding.
Why
ELLs can learn complex subject matter, but the language must be broken down into simpler
sentences and simpler words so that they can understand. Other supports (for example
visuals) and lots of repetition must be in place so that students can develop the language
alongside the content. There is a bit of a misconception that young language learners are
‘sponges’ and will simply ‘absorb’ new language. Although children can learn language and
content quickly, their understanding and eventual production of the language is maximized
when adequate supports are in place to make the content and the language as
comprehensible as possible.
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How
Reduce:
• Break down longer sentences into shorter sentences when telling stories or teaching
content.
• Use simpler terms in place of more challenging words.
• Use pictures and gestures to build vocabulary along with the printed words.
• Add new words with pictures to the word wall. Give ELLs copies of these pictures to
take home and practice.
Reword:
• Reword the content so that students are exposed to the content in different ways.
• Non-ELLs may hear the content as it is usually presented, but ELLs will also hear the
content presented in much simpler terms.
• Use the content to present statements and to ask questions.
Recycle:
• Repeat and reuse new words along the way in similar, simplified and structured
patterns. Also present the information in slightly different contexts so that students
can begin to understand the word in context.
• Ask questions of the students that solicit the use of the new vocabulary and
reinforce the understanding of the content. Repeat back what they say, gradually
adding more layers of difficulty as they progress.
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The following is an example of this strategy as a means to adapt a science lesson. The
example was taken from the Maple Bear Year One Science Curriculum:
Unit 1 “We are all scientists”
In the original Maple Bear lesson plan, there is a little story about Edwin Powell Hubble.
Here is an example of how one could use the ‘reduce, reword and recycle’ strategy to teach
the same story to ELLs and mainstream children in the same lesson at the same time-
without losing the high-quality content of the lesson.
To make this story truly come alive for the children (and particularly for the ELLs in the
group), teachers should have a way to show the visuals as he/she is teaching the lesson.
Visuals could be printed on cards or shown on a screen via a projector, depending on the
available technology and preference of the teacher. This is another way to make the input
‘comprehensible’.
New vocabulary should also be added to the class ‘word wall’. Larger versions of the images
that are not part of the original Maple Bear lesson plan are available in the Appendix.
Questions:
By asking questions along the way, teachers can encourage the students to use the new
vocabulary and to engage with the story. The meaning of the new vocabulary and content
can be reinforced by the questions and the students’ answers.
Gestures are used not only to keep young students engaged in the content, but also to
help reinforce vocabulary.
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Today we will learn about a man.

His name was Edwin Powell Hubble.
This is a picture of Edwin Powel Hubble.
Gesture: Point to picture of Edwin Powel Hubble.
scientist
Edwin Powell Hubble was a scientist.

Scientists are people who study and learn about things.
Question: “What is this man’s job?”
Gesture: Point to picture of the scientist.
Student: “scientist”
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Teacher: “Yes. You are correct. This man is a scientist. His job is
to be a scientist. He studies and learns about things.
Edwin Powell Hubble was a scientist too.”
There are different kinds of scientists.

For example, some scientists study animals.
Some scientists study plants. Some scientists study rocks.
Some scientists study water.
Question: “What does this scientist study?”

Gesture: Point back to picture of the scientist.
Student: “plants.”
Teacher: “Yes, this scientist in the picture studies plants. Edwin
Powell Hubble was a scientist, but he did not study plants.
Edwin Powell Hubble studied the stars and outer space.

Gesture: As the teacher says stars- point to picture of the star. As the teacher says
‘outer space’ – point to picture of outer space.
star outer space
When a scientist studies the stars and outer space, we call that scientist an ‘astronomer’
That science is called ‘astronomy’.
Edwin Powell Hubble was an ‘astronomer’.
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astronomer
Scientists often learn about the things they study by looking at them.
We look at things with our eyes.
Question: “Where are your eyes?” Gesture: teacher points to eyes
Teacher: “What is the boy looking at with his eyes?”
(Gesture- point to picture ‘look at’)
Student: “an apple”.
Teacher: “Yes- The boy is looking at an apple with his eyes.
Can you look at the stars and outer space with your
eyes?”
Student: “yes”
Look at eyes
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The astronomer, Edwin Powell Hubble learned about the stars and outer space by
looking at things with his eyes.
Question: “What is the astronomer doing in this picture?

Gesture: Teacher points again to the picture of astronomer
Student: “Looking at stars and outer space.”
Teacher: “What is the astronomer using?
Student: “His eyes?”
Teacher: “Is the astronomer using anything else to help him look at
the stars and outer space?”
Gesture: Teacher points to telescope in the picture.
Student: “Yes.”
Scientists learn about things and study them by looking at them very closely.
But Edwin needed help. He needed help to look at the stars and other things in outer
space.
Question: “Are the stars near to us or far away?”

Gesture: Use hand to show near and say ‘near’ – then use hands to
show ‘far away’ and say ‘far away’
Teacher: “So why did Edwin need help? Are the stars near?
(Gesture ‘near’)? Or are the stars far away?” (Gesture far
away)
Student: “Stars are far away.”
Teacher: “Is it easy to look at things that are very far away when
we look just with our eyes?”
Student: “No.”
The stars and all of the things in outer space are very far away!
Edwin needed help to look at the stars and other things in outer space more closely.
Gesture: point to the picture of the telescope, then point to the

picture showing ‘far away’
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Astronomers use telescopes to help them to look at stars and other things in outer space
that are far away.
telescope far away
Edwin Powell Hubble needed a tool to help him look at the stars because the stars are far
away.
Edwin Powell Hubble used a tool called a ‘telescope’.
A telescope can help people to see things very far away.
Question: “Can you make a pretend telescope with your hands. Look through your
‘telescope’?” What do you see?
Gesture: Teacher makes hands into a ‘telescope’ by placing one fist in front of the
other by the eye (leaving a little space in the middle to see through-
look through the space at an object far away- ask students to do the
same with their hands. *NOTE: It would be helpful for teachers to bring
a real telescope to class so that students could try one.
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Astronomers often use telescopes to look at the stars and other things in outer space.
Sometimes astronomers look at galaxies.
A galaxy is a group of stars. In a galaxy there are many, many stars.
galaxy
Question: “How many stars are in this galaxy? Let’s count together… One,
two, three…et cetera”.
Gesture: point to picture of the stars as you count.

This picture (gesture: point to clipart galaxy picture) is just a drawing of a galaxy. In a
real galaxy, there are many, many more stars. There can be millions of stars in a galaxy.
Here is a picture of one of the things Edwin looked at with his telescope.
It is called a ‘spiral galaxy’. (Gesture: show spiral galaxy)
Source: Pixabay
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This galaxy is called a spiral galaxy, because it is shaped like a spiral.

Gesture: point to the picture of the spiral drawing.
Let’s make a spiral shape with our hands.
Gesture: teacher move hands in shape of a spiral- have students
move their hands in the shape of a spiral.
spiral
When Edwin looked at the stars and outer space with his telescope, he made
discoveries.
Discoveries are when people learn new things that nobody else has learned before.
Edwin Powell Hubble became a very famous scientist because he made important
discoveries.
Other scientists named things after Edwin to show how important his work was.
They named a special kind of telescope after the astronomer, Edwin Powell Hubble.
They called it the Hubble space telescope’.
Gesture: point to picture of the Hubble space telescope.
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Astronomer with telescope Hubble space telescope (source Pixabay)
Question: Look at the picture of the astronomer and his telescope.

(Gesture: point to clipart picture of astronomer).
In this picture, the telescope is on the ground.
(Gesture: teacher taps to the ground)
Now look at the picture of the Hubble space telescope.
(Gesture: point to picture of Hubble telescope).
Is the Hubble space telescope on the ground?
(Gesture: teacher taps to the ground) or is it in outer space?
Student: “No, it is in outer space”
The Hubble Space telescope is an ‘orbiting space telescope’.

That means that the Hubble telescope travels around (or ‘orbits’) around the earth in
space. When something travels around in space a circle shape, we call that ‘orbiting’.
Orbit
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Gesture: Teacher uses finger to show the motion of the telescope orbiting the earth.
Have students do the same motion with their finger. If you have a globe in the
classroom, you could have students walk around the globe with their finger held up
to act out ‘orbiting the earth’.
Source: pixabay.com
Hubble Space Telescope orbiting the earth
Let’s look at the picture of the Hubble Space Telescope again.
See how it is floating above the earth in outer space.
(Gesture point to the earth in the photo)
The telescope orbits above the earth in space.
The telescope can see stars and other things in outer space that are very far away from
the earth.
The Hubble Space Telescope also has a special camera. It can take pictures with this
camera.
camera picture
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The camera on the Hubble Space Telescope takes pictures of the stars far away so that
people can learn more about outer space.
Gesture: Pretend to take a picture of something with a camera. Ask

students to do the same.
Question: “Can you take pictures of the stars?”
Student: “yes”
Teacher: “Why do you think the camera on the Hubble space
telescope helps astronomers to learn about stars and
outer space?
Student: “the telescope helps to see things that are far away.”
Teacher: “Yes- the Hubble space telescope camera can take
pictures of things that are very far away, like stars.”
These pictures from the camera on Hubble space telescope help us to make new
discoveries about things in space that we did not know before.
Edwin Powell Hubble said:

"Equipped with his five senses, man explores
the universe around him
and calls the adventure Science."
5 senses
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Gesture: point to picture of 5 senses
What Edwin Powell Hubble meant is that…
Scientists use their senses to study and learn about the world around them.
We all have senses that help us to study and learn about things.
That means we can all be scientists when we use our senses
to learn about things that we see, smell, taste, touch and hear.
People have 5 senses.
What are the senses?
Gesture: point to eyes- with our eyes we can see.
Gesture: point to nose- with our nose we can smell.
Gesture: touch fingers together on both hands- with our hands we can touch.
Gesture: put hands behind ears- with our ears we can hear.
Gesture: point to mouth- with our mouth, we can taste.
Transition into lesson about the 5 senses…
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Adapting assessment for beginning ELLs

What
As ELLs progress, they may be able to express their understanding of the content even
though they may have limited speaking or writing skills. They may require alternate
assessment strategies to allow them to show what they know. At the start of the lesson,
teachers will need to decide what content and which language skills they will be assessing.
At the beginning, the ELL will not likely be able to demonstrate all the content outcomes in
the same way as other children. Usually, teachers with ELLs will identify a few key concepts
from the content as well as a couple of language features (key vocabulary, a simple
sentence structure etc.) for each lesson.
Why
Assessment is a complex practice that tends to depend heavily on written and oral
communication on the part of the student. When the child has yet to develop the language
skills to express his or her understanding of the content (and of the language needed to
express the content), alternate forms of assessment may be necessary to see what the child
understands. It is important that the ELL still be given opportunities to show his/her
understanding, even if different tools are used to measure the child’s learning until he/she
has developed enough English proficiency to use the same assessment tools as other
children.
How
The following are some alternate forms of assessment that may be more accessible to
beginning language learners.
Point/show
Ask the student to point or show you a particular item. The item may be one of a series of
other visuals that are presented to the child. In this way, the child can demonstrate that
he/she understands the concept or the base vocabulary, but may not have the language to
express it yet in writing or verbally. For example:
“Point to an ABAB pattern” –
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“Show me the tool you would use to look at the stars”-
Draw
Students may be asked to react or retell information that they have learned in class. ELLs
may be asked to draw a picture to show their understanding as an alternate form of
assessment.
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“What did the Very Hungry Caterpillar eat on each day of the week? Draw a picture.”
“Draw a picture to show the different parts of life of the very hungry caterpillar.”
egg caterpillar cocoon butterfly
Select/ Choose / Circle / Underline
Show students a series of items that are familiar and have them identify a particular item
by circling it, underlining it or marking it for a specific purpose. For example:
“Underline the shape that comes next in the pattern.”
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“Circle the polar bear”
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Match
Matching exercises can help students to demonstrate that they understand connections between
two related things. If students have not yet developed enough literacy in English to read the words
that represent the concepts, provide them with visuals to accompany the vocabulary. NOTE: Do not
give too many options in matching questions for beginning ELLs. For example:
Which tool would you use? Match the tool with the way that it helps you to see.
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Act out/ pantomime

Gestures and actions are a go-to survival strategy for many language learners to
communicate basic ideas, wants and needs. Actions can also be a helpful assessment
strategy where words are inadequate. For example, when working with narrative
structures, ELLs may have difficulty to retell information in words, however they may
understand what happened in the story and be able to show the sequence of events
through gestures and/or pantomime. This is a great strategy for young learners, as they
tend to be enthusiastic towards activities that involve movement. This is also a strategy
that could easily involve the entire class.
For example,
When teaching ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle, students could be taught the
following actions:
• Curling up into a little ball to represent the egg at the beginning.
• Stretching up and out to represent the caterpillar hatching.
• Rubbing tummy to represent every time the story mentions that the caterpillar is
hungry.
• Biting and chewing, each time the story mentions that the caterpillar ate something.
• Standing straight with arms wrapped around oneself to represent the cocoon.
• Stretching out and flapping arms like wings to represent the butterfly.
As the teacher reads the story, the children could practice the actions together.
As an assessment for an ELL, the student could be read the story and asked to pantomime
the actions.
Label
Labeling is a useful strategy for vocabulary development, but it can also be used in a variety
of ways to assess different concepts.
If ELLs are not yet able to write words, they may be provided with word cards and pictures
that represent the same ideas. Students could be asked to match or glue the picture with
the appropriate word. If they are able to write the words, they can be asked to label the
pictures with the appropriate vocabulary.
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For example: “Label the pictures of the things that the Very Hungry Caterpillar ate.”
A final note on adapting assessment for ELLs

Beginning ELLs will progress at various speeds. On-going assessment will inform practice
and assist the teacher in adapting teaching strategies and materials for ELLs according to
their developing language proficiency.
Eventually, ELLs will need fewer adaptations and will be able to do most of the same tasks
that other students in the class can do.
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References
Burleson, S. & Thoron, A. (2014). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Its Relation to Learning
and Achievement. University of Florida IFAS Extension. Retrieved from
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC15900.pdf
CARLA (2018). Content-Based Second Language Instruction: What is it? Centre for Advanced
Research on Language Acquisition. Retrieved from
http://carla.umn.edu/cobaltt/CBI.html
Carle, E. (1969). The Very Hungry Caterpillar. United Kingdom: Hamish Hamilton
Publishers.
Dweck, C. (2016). What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means. Harvard Business Review Webinar.
Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means
Government of Alberta: Department of Education (2018). Communicative Competence.
Learn Alberta. Retrieved from
https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/about_communicative_competence.ht
ml
Henkes, K. (1991). Chrysanthemum. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Krashen, S. (2009). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition Internet Edition.
University of Southern California. Retrieved from
http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf
Maple Bear Global Schools Inc. (2018) Year One Curricula.
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Strategies For The Inclusion of English Language-Learners in Early-Years Maple Bear Classrooms

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Strategies for the Inclusion of

The strategies are founded on several important principles:

Communicative language teaching

Content-based language teaching

It is important to recognize that late-entry English language-learners face many challenges.

What you will find in this handbook

Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment

Increasing ‘Comprehensible Input’

• In the early stages of language acquisition, it is absolutely necessary to avoid

Verbalizing the Day-to-Day

Verbalize classroom routines

Respond verbally to non-verbal actions

Verbalize the process when modeling a learning activity

Bridging Vocabulary Gaps with Visuals

Use visuals to support the language of the day-today classroom

Provide labeled photos of the classroom

Make class schedules and routines visual

Post visuals of typical classroom instructions

share line up find a partner

clean up sit in a circle come here

sit down listen read

print/ write draw take turns

cut point / show choose

stand up turn and talk to a partner count

Storytelling as comprehensible input

• Audio books can be a simple recording of a story or they can be accompanied by a

Learning sentence-structure with pictographs

words (vocabulary) grammar complex meaning

Identify and Teach Key Vocabulary

Combine Key Vocabulary and Sentence Patterns in Pictograph Sentence Frame

Example of this strategy

After a second glance, we may notice that:

What makes this task challenging

*vague verb & unfamiliar cause

Vocabulary for the lesson part 1

magnifying glass small big

binoculars near far away

Some Vocabulary-Building Strategies:

When she does not use eyeglasses, the words are

Talk the student through the complete story now.

Point to each word as you read and say the story

to make unclear things

Pictograph sentence frame:

We use to make things look .

Adapted activity page for ELLs

Talk the student through the complete story now.

We use a magnifying glass

to make small things

Pictograph Sentence Frame:

We use a to make things look .

Show the student the picture of the man using binoculars to

When he uses the binoculars, the boat looks near.

Talk the student through the complete story now.

to make far away things

Pictograph sentence frame:

We use to make things look

Building Language Capacity in Mathematics

Pattern Greater than = More than = higher than

Next Less than

then I have _ left over or 9 – 5 =